"DWA" 2006 Obituary

DWAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-12-01 published
DWAN,
Allan, 1981 -- Died This Day
Film director born Joseph Aloysius
DWAN in Toronto on April 3,
After moving to Chicago with his family, he entered Notre Dame
University as an engineering student and helped develop a mercury
vapour lamp for the Chicago post office. The lamp attracted the
attention of film producer G.K. Spoor, who wanted to use it on
his movie sets. Mr.
DWAN soon learned that he could make money
on film scripts, and sold several stories. He worked as a scenario
editor, then went to Arizona with new American Film to shoot
westerns. Eventually, the company went to California, where he
became a director. Among his films were two Douglas Fairbanks
adventures, Robin Hood (1922) and The Iron Mask (1929). He also
made The Mayor of Hell (1933) with James Cagney, Suez (1938)
with Tyrone Power, and Heidi (1937) with Shirley Temple. In the
mid-forties, he directed three comedies, Up in Mabel's Room,
Brewster's Millions and Getting Gertie's Garter, and then turned
to war drama with Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) starring John Wayne.
His later films included Tennessee's Partner (1955), which starred
Ronald Reagan. He made his last film, The Most Dangerous Man
Alive, in 1961. In all, he directed a total of about 450 movies,
the most by one person.
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